


Auburn Arcade Action

by parallelanprincess



Series: How (Not) To Raise A Yandere [4]
Category: Yandere Simulator (Video Game)
Genre: All the bad tags are a reference to the Aishi marriage, Ayano Aishi's Childhood, Dissociation, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, POV First Person, Stockholm Syndrome, Unhealthy Relationships, Unreliable Narrator, Worldbuilding, YanDad Backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 08:39:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13454550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parallelanprincess/pseuds/parallelanprincess
Summary: Mr. Aishi is taking Ayano to the arcade in his old neighborhood. A trip down memory lane might not be the best thing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got a job. I start next week. I wrote this in one day. In a single sitting. I was that bored. 
> 
> I'm very pleased about the response to this series. I've had this in mind for several months but I was worried no one would care/be interested. I intend to continue this series from this point forward. 
> 
> I've hit a bit of a writer's block for Downverse. As it stands, it's very difficult to continue writing something so "serious" and content heavy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mr. Aishi has a short moment of dissociation. Feel free to skip this chapter and go to the next one.
> 
> Here we get the first glimpses of YanPapa's childhood. There's so little canon about him, I'm making my own. The goal here was to try to make the series comfortably fit into establish lore by creating a realistic universe where everything and everyone has a few degrees of separation.

It's been years since I went to an arcade.

In middle school, I'd grab Takahashi and Odayaka and we'd head to the local game center the minute class ended. Takahashi used to make us take this weird short cut through this abandoned lot behind the school. Surrounded by a decaying metal fence, the lot was located in front of a narrow alleyway. There was just enough room between the walls of the convenience store and a pachinko parlor to ease through. Once we squeezed through, it was only half a block to reach the arcade. Takahashi's route may have saved us time but we always blamed him for how grimy we were once we reached our destination.

It was a perilous journey. Odayaka was the shortest so one of us always had to hold them on their shoulders. Odayaka was also a chicken so it would take three to five minutes of coaxing to get them to finally go over. Then there was the rusted fence poking holes in our uniforms as we went to join them. Not to mention that crack between stores was barely big enough for one preteen to fit in. We argued over who went first every single time. We'd emerge victorious racing each other to the best place of earth. Our devotion ensured we were the first ones in the door. The owner turned his noses up on our grubby appearance.

We couldn't care less. He took our money with complaint and let us stay til closing during school breaks. He was one of those people who were born old. We made a game out of guessing his age. No matter what number we came up with he said we were wrong.

For a few hours a day we were the happiest kids in the world. No parents, no homework, and no rules. Just man and machine as nature intended.

Arcades are a staple of a true Japanese childhood. I'd fail in my duty as a parent if I deprived Ayano of her birthright. Visiting one my favorite places with my daughter was destined to be memorable.

Even if I had to bring Midori.

Kuchiro dropped her off with a sack of potatoes and a frog shaped coin purse filled with 100 yen coins.

“Aishi, you're really such a help. There's a sale going on and we really need all hands on deck. Midori is always going on about how much she loves spending time with your daughter,” Kuchiro said.

Midori was already asking Ayano if there were any snacks. A few days earlier I gave Ayano a lecture on taking from Ryoba's secret stash. Stealing was not something I wanted either of them to make a habit of. A proper young lady does not go digging around in medicine cabinets for cheesecake Kit Kats.

“We love having her. Midori is so precocious. It's nice for Ayano to have such a close friend,”Ryoba said smiling. Don't encourage him, sweetheart.

“You honor us by hosting her so often,” Kuchiro schmoozed.

The Aishi family carried a distinct reputation in our town. As the women never exhibited much emotion before falling in love they were seen as the ideal Japanese maiden. Quiet, docile, polite. Never raising their voice or stepping out of line. Their association with the Saikou Corporation meant they were financially well off. Ryoba had her fair share of suitors in high school. Second born sons hoping to marry into wealth. Old money types looking for the perfect submissive wife. Not to mention the saps looking to confess to their senpai under the cherry blossom tree.

She picked me.

Why did she pick me?

Why am I forced to endure this hell day in and day out?

What terrible sin in a past life have I committed to warrant this punishment?

“Father, are you alright?”Ayano was tugging on my shirt sleeve.

Where had she come from?

She was so small. So defenseless.

My little girl who might be a monster. Ayame, my sweet flower...how can I protect you from this legacy of darkness? What must I do to make you understand something I can't put into words?

“Don't mind him. He gets lost in thought sometimes,” Ryoba said.

Who was she talking to?

Ayano was gripping my hand tightly.

“Father. _Father!”_

I snapped back to attention. Ayame...Ayano was shaking me.

Ryoba.

Where was Ryoba?

She was ushering someone, Kuchiro, out of the door. Oh, I must have blacked out. Damn it. I hated doing this in front of the kid. She didn't need to know her father was a complete headcase. Kuchiro would keep his mouth shut if he knew better. There was a reason I disliked having people over. They asked too many questions.

“I'm okay, sweetie,” I said. I wrapped my arms around Ayano. Poor thing must have been terrified. She could barely walk the last time I spaced out. I came to terms with my lot in life since then.

“Papa..forgets sometimes. I'll be okay. Everything will be okay. I promise. Why don't you go play with Midori for awhile? We'll leave in a minute.”

Ayano reluctantly let go of me. She kept one eye on me as she ventured into the kitchen. Don't look to close, my child. You won't like what you find.

“Everything alright, darling?” Ryoba asked. She looked genuinely concerned. Usually she was the main cause of my blackouts. We'd been fine these last few months. Ayano's sudden change in attitude did wonders for our marriage. Most of our arguments were about her and with things taking a turn for the better, we were back to normal.

Well, for what counted as normal for us.

“Just a headache, Ryo-chi. Some tea might help. I'll buy something on the way to the station. We don't want to miss the train.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to imply Yanpapa having a lonely childhood. Going to Akademi further isolating him. And trying to provide a reasonable explanation for why his family allowed him to marry Ryoba. They really, really didn't care about him.
> 
> Which might explain why he's so attached to Ayano.

Going to the arcade from my childhood meant getting on a train to travel to my old neighborhood. I barely visited since graduating high school. Marriage and later fatherhood kept me too busy to think about my pre-Ryoba life.

“Father, where are we going?” Ayano asked. She was still holding on to me for dear life. I wanted our final destination to be a surprise. My earlier episode and suddenly secrecy was probably confusing. At least I could depend on Ryoba to keep Aya-chan safe during my longer periods of distress.

The train was pretty crowded. Finding a row of unoccupied seats was a miracle. Ayano sat on my left with Ryoba on my right. Next to Ayano, Midori was sitting on her knees watching the world pass by in the windows. The whole thing made me feel oddly nostalgic for the rare times Takahashi, Odayaka, and I ventured into the city.

This was Midori's first time on a train and it showed. She nearly exploded when we arrived at the station. Paying for her fare didn't bother me. Kuchiro would pay me in freebies rather he wanted to or not. I've been craving okonomiyaki lately. Squeezing some free cabbage and onions out of would be a fair trade.

“Papa's taking you to the neighborhood he grew up in. We're going to the best game center in all of Japan,” I said.

I called ahead to see if the place was still standing. It was under new management as the old owner passed away a few years ago. Rest in peace, old man. Your contributions to gaming will never be forgotten.

“Does this mean we're going to go to your old high school? Are we gonna visit Yan-chan's grandparents?”Midori asked. We worked out a system where she was only allowed to ask three questions or less at time. The limit made her a lot more discerning in what she asked.

“No on both accounts. Sit down, you have to speak quietly on the trains. It's proper etiquette. I actually went to Akademi High. My freshman year was the year it opened. The entrance exam was pretty-”

“That's where we met and fell in love, Midori. Mr. Aishi was my senpai. We got married a few years after graduation. Do you remember, darling?” Ryoba said.

How could I forget the moment when you legally trapped me in your clutches? I should have known she would take this trip as a reaffirmation of her victory. There wasn't much that tied me to my childhood roots.

Acceptance into Akademi meant leaving Odayaka and Takahashi behind. We all ended up going to different high schools. Naturally, our paths diverged. Of the three of us, Takahashi and I bore the most similarities. Takahashi ended up marrying into a prominent family like I did. He changed his last name to Soma. His wedding was in the newspaper. Last I heard, he had two sons.

Odayaka didn't do so well. He dropped out of school to help with the family bakery. The bakery was heavily in debt for as long as I could remember. Odayaka took over when his father got to old too knead the dough. Somehow his elderly parents ended up having a miracle baby at the ripe ages of 55 and 60. There was a rumor that the child was actually from an affair Odayaka had with a married woman.

We all seemed to have kids around the same age. What was wrong with my generation? Marrying young and changing diapers in the prime of our lives.

Visiting my family was out of the question. As the youngest of four sons, my parents overlooked me. I was seen as one extra mouth to feed. My wardrobe consistent of clothes my brothers outgrew. This even extended to their old uniforms. Not much was expected of me aside from not embarrassing my family. My elder brothers generally took up most of our parents attention. So when I went missing for several weeks no one batted an eye. Had I thought my family would believe my stories, I would have told them immediately. I knew better. After two months trapped in a basement I knew who loved me

Whether I wanted her to or not.

“We're here, darling,” Ryoba announced.

I felt a sense of deja vu as we disembarked. The terminal seemed virtually untouched. Aside from a few new posters advertising everything from idols to food, the station was the same. They even kept the same schedule. Hard to imagine how this place stayed frozen in time. I left with my captor and a duffel bag filled with a months worth of clothes. I returned with a wife and child. The collision of two very different eras of my life gave me mixed emotions. I was happy to share this experience with Ayano. My daughter was going to learn more about her heritage. At least the non-psychotic side.

I discarded a part of myself when Ryoba snatched me away. However, Ayano's very existence rested on me being taken from my comfort zone into a world of bloodshed and secrets. A paradox that made me question whether I valued my freedom over my child's life.

Things like this were why I never came here in the first place

* * *

Asobi Game Center was exactly where I left it. The convenience store was still standing and the pachinko parlor had updated its facade to an even gaudier color scheme. Somethings never change. About two seconds after we crossed the threshold, Midori grabbed Ayano and headed towards a shooting game. Kuchiro needed to sign her up for the track team. She might burn off all that excess energy.

“Is it really safe to let her play that?” I asked. Ryoba smiled. I felt the temperature drop by thirty degrees.

“Darling, you know she needs to work on her aim. Target practice can never start too early,” Ryoba replied.

Oh, yeah. We needed to prep her for continuing the dubious family business. Ryoba was something of a prodigy according to my mother in law. Her specialty was stealth and disposal. Years of cohabitation prevented me from being surprised when she appeared out of thin air. I looked forward to the rare occasions when she left for days at a time to solve disputes on behalf of Saikou Corp. No man or woman alive was capable of keeping Ryoba Aishi from her goals.

I walked over to where the girls were playing. Ayano was showing Midori how to adjust her grip on the fake toy gun. Midori gleefully decimated an onslaught of zombies. Next time I'm bringing the camera. I wanted photographic evidence of my precious angel's childhood innocence. Her killer instincts were already kicking in. Please don't fall in love, Aya-chan. Just a few more years of normalcy I beg you.

“New high score! Yan-chan, you're so good at everything. You're gonna be the Queen of the Arcade.” Midori said.

“Thank you, Gurin-chan.” Ayano said.

“Yan-chan, it's Midori. Call me, Midori!”

“Midori. Midori." She was testing how the name sounded coming out of her mouth. "Midori..."

Midori was really helping Ayano out of her shell. Making friends her own age seemed to be making her more active and responsive. Maybe next time, I'll bring Kuu along. A trip to the arcades was something she'd like. Midori was practically bouncing in joy at this point. I assumed they were on a first name basis before now. Ayano was always overly formal. Her first words were “father” and “mother” as opposed to “papa” or any other kind of baby talk.

“Let's go find a purikura booth. I want memories of the day you finally said my name. Come on, we can make some for Kuu-chan.”

And they're off.

At least Ayano knows not to talk to strangers. Midori's too annoying to be kidnapped. Hopefully. Kuchiro might celebrate. Bastard.

“That's a great idea. We should find one too, darling,” Ryoba purred.

“How about we try one of those love testers instead?”

There was a line of teenagers in front of the nearest one. By the time we got to the front the girls would be finished. The spirit world's sense of humor was seriously warped if Ryoba was my soulmate. More like my own personal shinigami. Fate was a cruel mistress indeed.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Yanpapa does love Ryoba, it's a twisted, unhealthy codependent kind of love. Stockholm Syndrome is in full affect folks. The idea here was to show what kind of warped thinking allowed him to stay sane enough to function. 
> 
> He's used to Ryoba. He knows her well enough to go for the flow. It's sad and beautiful and messed up.

Teenagers were the bane of my existence. Ryoba and I waited for what felt like hours. The young couples kept throwing yen at the love tester until it spat out an answer that pleased them. You're going to break it at this rate. It's not that serious. The last couple gave up the ghost and moved aside. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Don't look so disappointed.

“Darling, aren't you curious about what we'll get?” Ryoba asked.

“I don't need a machine to tell me that we're destined to be together forever.”

“You say the sweetest things,” she sighed.

The way to operate the love tester was simple: for the price of 400 yen, each person grabbed one of the two handles and squeezed. Based on the force applied on the handle, the machine generated a phrase that supposedly reflected the strength of the couple's love. From what I remembered the lowest end of the scale of was “Childhood Friends” while “Orihime and Hikoboshi” was the highest score possible. Not that I ever used it before.

I was a bit anxious about using the machine. Ryoba was strong enough to break the handle if she held too hard. We went through a lot of sake cups when Ryo-chi got too drunk. Good thing we never use the sake set that's been based down for several generations. The plan was to grab the girls and run if we broke it. I only brought so much money with me.

“Ready, darling?”

“Yes, sweetheart. ”

I held the handle like it was Aya-chan's hand. Firm enough to get a good grip but soft enough not to do damage.

This machine was testing my ability to be a good husband. To look past all the horrors that composed Ryoba Aishi. After all this time, I didn't love her. Probably never would. I was stuck with her for the rest of my life. What I lacked in passion I more than made up with complacency. At some point, I got used to our strange rhythm. Waking up next to her stopped being nightmarish after the first few months. That kinky shit she liked to do in bed was pretty hot. Her ass was pretty firm for a woman her age. Ryoba's cooking was top notch. The way she wielded a knife was a work of art. She was smart, beautiful, and deadly. She was _mine._

Everything and nothing that I deserved.

The love tester made a small noise to alert us our results were ready. Ryoba's handle was slightly cracked. In bold red letters it revealed its rating: “The Tale of Yuki-Onna”

“I think...I think it's pretty accurate,” I said weakly. Ryoba looked puzzled. The reference was a bit obscure. A story about an ice demon who falls in love with a mortal man. Love, marriage, and death all tied up in a classic folk tale.

“Oh, I remember that story. Mother used to tell it when I had trouble sleeping. How romantic.” Ryoba leaned over for a kiss. I kissed her gently. What the hell? I was in a good mood.

“Mr. Aishi! Yan-chan got me a frog out of the UFO catcher!”

Midori, why do you have to ruin the mood?

Sure enough Midori was carrying a giant Keroppi plushie. Ayano was trailing behind her with carrying an annoyed looking Badtz-Maru. How much money did you two waste to get those things?

“How did you get so lucky?” Ryoba asked. I expected Midori to give me a full commentary. Knowing her, she crawled inside the machine and grabbed.

“I crawled inside the machine,” Ayano said. It's official. Midori is a terrible influence. No person in their right mind slips inside a piece of machinery to grab a cheap plushie.

“How clever. I hope you didn't hurt yourself. It's great practice for the future.”

This is an arcade not a training facility!

“I'm fine. We kept trying to get it. It wasn't coming out. Midori started crying;” Ayano paused. She looked confused. The concept of empathy was new to her. Feeling discomfort at another person's pain was a trait that Ryoba lacked. Ayano was still processing her feelings and reaction.

“I didn't like that,” she finished quietly. She stared pointedly at the floor. She expected one of us to scold her for such blatantly reckless behavior. I looked to Ryoba for guidance. I wasn't equipped to deal with this. My quote of strange emotions was filled for the day. Time to rely on the magic of co-parenting.

“Don't do that anymore, alright? We don't want you to get stuck inside. You were a good friend for helping Midori. Can I see what you have?”

“Midori, won it for me. I wanted to give her a present too. I wanted her to be happy, Mother.”

I wanted to cry. My little girl was changing for the better. She was learning to express her desires and speak her mind. Opening up to the people around her. Caring for them and wanting to help them. My beautiful flower blooming in the spring of her life.

 


	4. Coda: Midori Aishi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A possible future/ending for this series: Ayano falls in love with and eventually marries Midori.
> 
> The purpose of this is to signify the multiple endings Ayano could achieve if she goes a nonmurderous route. Taking place immediately after the arcade story ends, it hints at how things might turn out. 
> 
> I want to do more codas like this for other characters from the game and what life would be like if Ayano chose them over senpai.

“Yan-chan, let's do the love tester. I love you so much and I want everyone to know.”

Oh, no. No, no, no. You are both way too young to be thinking about things like--

“Okay.”

I was about to say something when I felt Ryoba grab my shoulder. I was not to intervene. Of course, Ryoba was counting the days til Ayano fell in love. She wanted nothing more than to shape Ayano into a younger version of herself. Lovestruck and ready to do anything it took to secure her prey. I figure there were a few more years til that time came.

I was mostly worried about Midori. Getting so attached to one person wasn't healthy. Not to mention Kuchiro wasn't the most forward thinking person. I was overthinking. There was no way that-

“Who's Orihime and Hikoboshi? Are they actors? Does this mean we're going to be famous?”

It's a stupid machine. It means nothing. Nothing at all. It was getting late. We needed to get back to the station immediately. Midori's parents were probably worried sick. I knew I hated coming back here for a reason. Nothing good ever comes from dwelling in the past after all.

* * *

 

The ride back was exhausting. Ayano was teaching Midori about Tanabata. Ryoba was chiming in about the power of love and soulmates and other crap. I really needed a cigarette. Ayano's demeanor was unchanged from when we left home in the morning. Either Ryoba's spiel about love awakening her personality was complete garbage or Midori wasn't destined to be her true love. The latter seemed more likely. Midori having a crush on my daughter was manageable. Unusual and surprising for a girl her age though. Ayano going on a murderous rampage to keep away boys who fancied Midori was unacceptable. Judging by how calm and not-crazed Ayano was I safely ruled that possibility out.

What if she did fall for Midori? Ryoba wouldn't mind. Kuchiro was enough of weasel to want to be connected to our family. Marriage between two women wasn't legal, however something as silly as the law never stopped Ryoba from going through with her plans.

Would that be the worse thing in the world? Two childhood friends getting married. The Aishi bloodline ending. Ayano happy and sane with her true love. Midori wouldn't be the worst daughter-in-law to have. I spent more time with her than Kuchiro at this point.

As I watched the girls compare their arcade winnings I put aside thoughts of the future. They were still young. They had their whole lives ahead of them. For now, Midori and Ayano were two best friends enjoying each other's company. Making memories that would last a lifetime.

 


End file.
